To correctly fill in the blank in the sentence "I _____ for over two hours," we need to choose the appropriate verb form that fits the context. The sentence indicates that the action took place in the past and was completed by the time the exam ended. The context also suggests that the action was continuous over a period of time.
Here's how we can determine the correct verb form:
1. **Identify the tense needed**: Since the action was continuous and took place in the past, the past perfect continuous tense is appropriate here. This tense is used to describe actions that were ongoing in the past and were completed before another event in the past.
2. **Structure of past perfect continuous**: The past perfect continuous tense is formed with "had been" + the present participle (verb + -ing).
3. **Apply the structure to the verb "write"**: The present participle of "write" is "writing."
So, the complete sentence should be: "I had been writing for over two hours."
In this sentence:
- "had been" indicates that the action was ongoing and completed in the past.
- "writing" is the present participle form of the verb, showing the continuous nature of the action.
By using "had been writing," we clearly communicate that the action of writing was ongoing before the exam ended and contributed to the feeling of exhaustion.
